These days Star Trek can, and is, a collection of tales with multiple settings. From secretive science experiments, to unimportant Starships. In the 1990’s Star Trek was seen as only one thing: A crew exploring space on the Enterprise. And there was even pushback to there being a different Enterprise and crew in the 80’s before the launch of The Next Generation. But producers of the time weren’t worried about cries of heresy as they came up with a new plan to expand the Star Trek Universe with Deep Space Nine.
Having a show on air that followed the Enterprise flying through space and meeting the bumpy foreheads of the week, Deep Space Nine would go the other way, focusing on a space station that finds a gateway to a far away quadrant allowing them to focus on exploring the local Bajoran cultures, whilst the aliens of the week would instead come to Deep Space Nine. A galactic crossroads.
It was a risk, and one that would give the opportunity to show something different in the Starfleet world. Though how it would begin in it’s pilot episode would show less risk while setting up what would end up becoming the most arc-based series of it’s time.
As always, there’s a few places to get your hands on the field jackets, from the budget costume suppliers Cosermart, to the high end made to measure Excellent Leather Store. Though as soon as Picard showrunner Terry Matalas shared Hero Within’s efforts, our interest was instantly gained.
Licensed retailers for costume pieces in the Star Trek Universe are few and far between these days. Having already produced some Trek-wear, as well as a copy of the Strange New Worlds field jacket, Hero Within had been gaining traction in their popularity. Despite some retailers being let downs (saying Anovos is enough to anger a lot of out of pocket fans!), Hero Within’s attention to detail combined with very reasonable pricing made this an instant win for me – and the first time I’d take a risk with a licenced costume piece.
Being in the second pre-release wave, there was a bit of await. But Hero Within laid out the expectations instantly, letting each wave know their ET and offered tracking as soon as it shipped. After an impatient wait for arrival in the UK, and seeing others showcased on their twitter feed, when the jacket finally appeared it took around three seconds to get the package opened and give it a whirl. Despite the fact I was in the middle of a shift….
The fit is the most impressive part. It’s always a gamble buying something online, especially having to face the reality that having a ‘dad bod’ in reality means I’m visibly middle aged. Plus many outfits sold online have a disconnect to UK sizing. However Hero Withins measurement chart was one of the few honest ones I’ve came across and it fits perfectly.
Detailing of course isn’t entirely screen accurate. On the show the jackets had a slight delta pattern on the shoulders which has been replicated by other companies in both cut-outs and print. If I was making this myself (my original plan, but time is limited!) I know the exact upholstery leather I’d be using. But through development HW made sure to stress test everything and removed the detail in the shoulders to improve durability and longevity as well as to ensure the jacket wasn’t just a costume piece, but a fully wearable item any day of the week. I did think I’d miss the detail, but as soon as it’s in my hands I don’t mind and really appreciate the effort from HW to make sure it’s an outfit that lasts.
In terms of material, most of the jacket is vinyl. All elements that do include the pierced sections are leather, while heavy duty spandex is used in the elbows. The vinyl doesn’t give the worn look I usually prefer, but does make the jacket look sharp and clean as well as keeps cost down significantly. Not all of the measurements are spot on perfect and don’t mirror up perfectly, but thats a point I appreciate as it gives more authenticity to a semi-military outfit.
And of course, the element that makes it stand apart from non-licensed works. The lining. It’s a small thing that you’d never see but having the bright blue star-field and Picard logo inside is a wonderful touch that’s hard not to appreciate, topping their previous lining print efforts.
To make the jacket pop more, I did get myself some new Admirals pins from a non-licensed retailer which really does bring the jacket alive. In wearing so far, I’ve also added a Fansets magnetic pin, who I’m a big fan of, but the magnets hold far better through different fabrics and due to the thickness of the vinyl will have to be replaced by a proper pin at some stage to be able to hold in place.
The pins – both rank and Starfleet insignia – really bring everything together. I won’t lie, I don’t think I’d love it as much without them on there. So in a weird way, it’s really a team effort and I hope Fansets, with their recent addition of TNG era rank pins, produce some 25th century pins to help compliment it down the line for non-flag officers. In terms of the delta however, as much as I appreciate the creative logic of changing the colours and Fansets releasing the season 3 version of the pin, I much prefer the cleaner style of the original release.
Overall, part of me does prefer real leather. But that’s the only real gripe I’d have, and it’s quite a small one. Even the smaller yolk I don’t mind. Forgoing any shoulder padding really helps with the comfort of wearing it. The product is excellent and if anything, I think it’s underpriced in the current market. But thats good for all fans and absolutely wonderful for a licensed company to produce this kind of quality for such great value for money.
In terms of their licensed products, Star Trek seems to be their biggest output. Though HW’s more generic jackets include items from DC, Marvel. Their Doctor Who line also has some interesting products. However, with their customer base supporting the Star Trek Universe line, Hero Within are one licensee worth keeping an eye on for some great products at even better prices!
Check out Hero Within and see their full range!
Note: The Picard Field Jacket retailed at £81 GDP excluding postage. Other items, including tactical bomber jackets and the SNW field jackets retail at roughly the same price.
About the author
Delta Quarter Promotions & Citations: September 2026
Throughout it’s entire existence SFC has grown, evolved and thrived due to the commitment and passion of our officers and crew. Keen members can make a huge difference within their unit or the fleet as a whole, and we like to ensure members are rewarded and recognised for all they bring to the organisation. Starting this year, we're opening every new period within the fleet celebrating those who have made an impact and engaged in being a positive influence in their unit or in Q2 overall. And while we're getting in a little bit earlier, we'd like to introduce our Delta Quarter awards. While promotion is one of the most visible awards available to members, one of the most vital are our commendations. Commendations are a formal recognition awarded to members of Quadrant 2 who have shown commendable service and […]
What If…. the Whales Were Never Extinct?
Fondly remembered as the lightest, more comedic entries in Star Trek's film offerings, The Voyage Home is the story of an alien probe coming to Earth to talk to it's whale pen pal, a little bit miffed that they've not had a letter in a while. In the 21st century, those pen pals – Humpback Whales – had been hunted to extinction. Meanwhile, Kirk and his disgraced crew were on the way home to stand trial and through some time warp shenanigans, take a stolen Bird of Prey back to the 20th century, kidnap some whales, and take them to the 23rd century to save the day. The charges against Kirk were a fairly big deal. Previously Kirk had stolen a soon to be retired Enterprise, went against orders and along with support from his long standing command crew barged […]
[Retro Review] The Doomsday Machine
Responding to a distress call from the USS Constellation, the Enterprise race to the rescue but they arrive too late to save the day. Coming under fire from an alien entity, the Constellation has been heavily damaged and with only one survivor within it's charred shell; Commodore Matt Decker... Still in shock from the attack, Decker isn't able to say if it was an alien ship, or a creature that tore his ship apart. It doesn't take long to track the aliens flight path. It's not from around these parts, entering the Galaxy and on course towards populated areas that would undoubtedly be next in it's devastating path. Beaming on board with an away team, Kirk aims to try and get whats left of the ship back up and running while getting Decker to safety. But during the transit, the […]
Under Pressure: ‘Orders Of Magnitude’, Strange New Worlds S4E08
Boarding as a hero and legend, Admiral Joe Reeger arrives, take command and leaves Pike stranded as he leads the remaining Enterprise crew on an urgent mission. With a visiting (again!) James Kirk picked out as first officer, Reegers mission and motivations come into question and puts Kirk's leadership to task... Writers: Alan B McElroy Director: Sharon Lewis One thing about season four that's been a highlight through some uneven episodes is how it's guiding it's characters form our first contact with them in this series, and how we originally met them sixty years earlier. While it's been more obvious with Spock's pivot towards being closer to his logical side, we've had Chapel make the choice to become a permanent part of the Enterprise and Scotty's move towards being the 'miracle worker'. Even Pike seems to be on the […]
Days of Our Unreal Lives: ‘Like Chronitons Through The Hourglass’, Strange New Worlds S4E07
Waking up in sickbay with a comical bandage on his head following a shuttle accident, Pike quickly notices things are a bit off. The lights are too bright. The medical staff are behaving oddly with dramatic pauses aplenty. And he's fairly certain space madness isn't a genuine diagnosis. As the hour continues with devious secret siblings, dramatic feats of medicine and family drama aplenty, Pike is drawn further into the strangest of all worlds; the soap opera. Writers: Dana Horgan and Bill WolkoffDirector: Anna Dozoka Soap opera's are mental. And for a theme it's even more mental than it seems. But considering soap opera's are basically just overly dramatic premises with long lost relatives you'd never before heard of, absolutely insane scenario's that make Maggie Simpson shooting Mr Burns seem normal and plot twists so insane you genuinely have to […]
Star Trek Day 2026: Celebrating 60 Years of the Final Frontier!
Sixty years ago the world was introduced to a sci fi series that planted a seed of adventure, imagination and inspiration that would blossom into a juggernaut of media. After launching with the Man Trap on September 8th in the United States, the series would later grow into a pop culture icon spawning 9 Live Action Series, 3 Animated Series, 13 Feature Films & more including Streaming Events, Shorts and a huge amount of offshoot media across games, comics and books. With generations of fans discovering new era's and new adventures for decades, today we celebrate not only that first flight of the USS Enterprise and it's original crew, but an entire franchise that continued to grow, evolve, building a world of adventure, inspiration and hope for a better future! As we celebrate Star Trek at 60, we'd love to hear how […]
Related
Relay Recap: July 2024
All Features Universe Categories Fleet Alert Comms GORN GIRL recap; july 2025 Picking up on the Season 2 cliff-hanger, Strange New Worlds returned to our screens this month to find Captain Pike and his crew on the edge of war with the Gorn as Season 3 was finally released!Exploring new worlds and new problems, the Enterprise crew are back in action on Paramount Plus and we're keeping ourselves up to date with weekly episode discussion threads on our FB Continuing Mission Group & Weekly episode reviews from Admin ! Explore... Episode Reviews Spoilers Group ACROSS THE UNIVERSE As we look back on Pike's adventures on the Enterprise in the prequel series, Paramount also gave us a look at whats to come next as Entertainment Weekly and SDCC's Star Trek Universe panel gave us a sneak peek at the reopening of […]
Delta’s Done Right: A look at FanSets Recent Offerings!
When it comes to collectables in the Star Trek world, one of the most reliable lines of merchandise were pins that fans could wear or display to replicate the brave Starfleet heroes on screen. For many fans, back in the day the go to place for these was Hollywood Pins' collection as they churned out every Starfleet emblem from all era's, rank pins and even a few commemorative pins including limited edition anniversary designs and Starships. Several other contenders have came and gone providing the coveted icons of Star Trek fandom, including the Roddenberry Store and QMX. However, the latest supplier – FanSets – seem to be the most enthusiastic yet.
